Three Palestinian officials huddle with Powell, Rice

Signs of progress hinted after talks

Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle News Services

Published
5:30 am CDT, Friday, August 9, 2002

WASHINGTON -- Three Palestinian Cabinet ministers met Thursday with Secretary of State Colin Powell and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice amid hints that discussions on security, economic development and humanitarian assistance may be moving the Mideast peace process back on track.

One sign of progress was the scheduling of a meeting Saturday between the Palestinians and CIA Director George Tenet, who has taken the lead in trying to reconstitute the Israeli security service and work out its relations with Palestinian services to reduce suicide bombings.

"We had a good discussion on security cooperation and some of the things we're trying to do in the very near future," Powell told reporters after a 75-minute meeting with the ministers Thursday afternoon at the State Department.

"The discussions will be continuing over the next couple of days," he added in what was interpreted as a veiled reference to the Tenet meeting.

Yehiyeh cautioned that while Israeli troops occupy West Bank towns and parts of Gaza, the Palestinians cannot make changes in the security area since "anyone carrying arms is arrested or detained."

He added, however, that "behind the curtain" work is being done to change the police leadership and integrate the various Palestinian security forces, goals Tenet and others have been seeking.

At the hourlong morning meeting at the White House, Rice and the three Palestinians discussed political, economic and security issues and she "underscored President Bush's commitment to move the agenda forward," a White House spokesman said.

They also discussed Bush's "vision" as contained in his June 24 speech which linked a separate Palestinian state to reforming the authority's structure and replacing Arafat and his top leaders with others "not compromised by terror."

Asked about the irony that the three ministers were Arafat appointees, the spokesman said, "These leaders are individuals who have expressed a commitment to reform and have recently met with Israeli leaders on these issues."

While Powell and Rice were meeting with the Palestinians, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon went on television and called the Palestinian Authority a "terror posse," adding that Middle East peace would come only after the current leadership was removed.

The prime minister's speech came after Israeli-Palestinian talks fell apart early Thursday morning amid mutual recriminations, and after the Israeli army mounted an incursion into the Gaza Strip, killing a teenager, and destroyed the family homes of the relatives of four militants on the West Bank.

"Over the past few days, feelings of anger have surfaced," Sharon said, "feelings of helplessness. These are exactly the same feelings we mustn't submit to. They are the effect of pain and despair, but despair never leads to victory."

"Between us and our goal," Sharon said, referring to a goal of peace, "stands the Palestinian Authority's gang of murder, terror and corruption. This gang does not seek peace with Israel, just as it is not interested in alleviating the dire agonies the Palestinians endure.

"We can't hold talks with the gang of terrorists that is the Palestinian Authority. Rooting them out is the only way to reach peace."